ALL POSTS TAGGED "[Monumental Mysteries]"

The Chrysler Building at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue is one of New York’s most spectacular and beloved landmarks. The striking skyscraper is easily identified by its gleaming, terraced crown — a marvel of Art Deco design. Today, at 77 stories, it is the fourth-tallest building in the city.

But behind the tower is a tale of bitter rivalry, thwarted ambition and deception.

In 1929, 2 architects — former partners — became archrivals, when they found themselves in charge of competing projects. The task? Build the tallest building in the world.

Grand Central Station in New York City is one of the country’s best-loved landmarks. Covering an area of 48 acres,it has the most platforms of any train station in the world: 44. But the station is most famed for the epic grandeur of its main concourse, crowned by the arching splendor of an enormous astronomical mural painted in gold leaf and cerulean blue on the towering ceiling. The mural depicts the star signs of the zodiac, and it’s the largest diagram of its kind in the modern world.

But, upon closer inspection, the mural is not all it seems. One morning after the station’s grand opening in 1913, a commuter makes a surprising discovery: the constellations in the mural are backwards.

So, is the distortion of the celestial sphere by mistake or by design? Is there sinister symbolism hidden in the grand mural, as many suspect? Find out tonight at 9|8c on an all-new episode of Monumental Mysteries!

Plus, learn the mysteries behind Arizona’s London Bridge, a majestic mansion in California’s Death Valley and elephant statues in Illinois’ Woodlawn Cemetery. Don also investigates the stories of a notorious beauty who spent her last days in the Old Charleston Jail and a heroic surfer who saved the lives of 8 victims of a boat wreck.

Tonight at 9|8c on an all-new episode of Monumental Mysteries, Don Wildman dives deeper into the history behind some of America’s most iconic (and bizarre!) monuments.

Tourists and locals alike may admire the ingenuity behind the impressive Brooklyn Bridge, but many may not realize that its construction was marred by a series of untimely deaths. While digging the foundation for the bridge’s iconic towers, multiple workers suffered from what was then referred to as “caisson disease” – now known as “the bends.”

Catch this mystery and more tonight at 9|8c on Monumental Mysteries. And don’t forget to check out our behind-the-scenes photos from the episode.